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(ModeL) L. M. DEVORE & P. W. HOEFER.

SPRING HINGE.

No. 396,031. Patented Jan; 8, 1889.

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mm. ml 1m" n. PETERS. Phulml lhogrzphur. Washington olic UNITED TATESATENT rricn.

LEVI M. DEVORE AND FRED. HOEFER, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS,

BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE STOVER MANUFACTUR- SPRING-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,031, dated January8, 1889.

Application filed February 2'7, 1888. Serial No. 265,460. (Mudeh) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, LEVI M. DEX ORE, a resident of Freeport, in thecounty of Stephenson and State of Illinois, and FRED. IV. HOEFER,

also a resident of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSpring-l-linges; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvmncnts in spring-hinges, and is fullydescribed and explained in this specification and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a hinge embodyingour improvements. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of the same. Fig. 3 is asection through the lines a; on, Fig. 1,and 3 1 ,l ig.2. Fig. 4 is asection of a modified form, the position of the plane of section beingthe same as that of the plane of section in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, A A are two hinge-leaves formed, respectively,with ears a a a a, connected by short pintles p p in a manner common inhinges of this class. The leaf A is provided with a rod, R, parallel tothe axis of the hinge, but at one side thereof, the rod 0 beingsupported at its ends by the ears a a.

of the leaf and at its center by braces r 0', formed integrally with therod and the leaf. The leaf A is preferably formed with a hood or shell,13, adapted to inclose and conceal a spring, and within this shell is anarbor, C, parallel with the axis of the hinge and having its ends seatedin suitable bearings, 0. Two coiled springs, S S, are coiled about thearbor in opposite directionsz'. 6., one right 40 hand and the other lefthandand the outer ends, .9 s, of the two coils are secured to the leafin any suitable manner, as bypassing through openings in the shell 13.

The inner contiguous ends, 5- s, of the two coils are extended at rightangles to the arbor C toward the rod R, their extremities being formedwith hooks lying immediately under the axis of the hinge. The hooksengage the lower end of a link, L, whose upper end is hooked over orotherwise pivotally connected to the rod R at its center. Thearrangement of the spring, the link, and the rod is such that the forceof the spring tends to draw the rod downward or toward the base of thehinge, and when the hinge is closed, as shown in the figures, this forceis evidently exerted to hold it closed and resists any effort to movethe leaf A in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. If, however,the leaf be r0- tated in the direction indicated by the arrow until therod R reaches a position directly above the axis of the hinge, as shownin dotted lines in Fig. 3, the rod R, the axis of the hinge, and thehooks s at the ends of the springs S are all in the same plane, and thehinge is at its dead-point, the force of the spring having no tendencyto either open or close the hinge. If the rotation of the leaf becontinued still farther in the same direction, the rod R passes beyondthe vertical 7o plane of the axis of the hinge, and the force of thespring then tends to throw the hinge open. As shown, the hinge reachesits deadpoint when opened about one hundred and twenty degrees from itsclosed position; but the position of the rod and the spring may be sovaried as to bring the dead-point in any desired position.

Fig. 4: shows a hinge in which a flat spring, S, is wound about asuitable arbor, one of its ends being secured in a slot therein, whileits other end, 5, is hooked to a link, L, corresponding in position andfunction to the link in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The operation of this hingeis the same as that of the one illustrated in the first three figures.

It is evident that other modifications may be evolved by any skilledmechanic from those illustrated and described. These forms are shown,therefore, simply as illustrations of the principle of operation whichis common to them all, and not with the intention of setting forth allthe variations that have occurred to us or that may be suggested toothers upon examination of the drawings herein. In all the forms shownthe link lies upon one side of the axis of the hinge when the hinge isclosed and on the opposite side of the axis suitably-eonneeted leaves,one of which provided with a pivotal rod or pin, a springeoil mountedparallel to the hinge-axis upon.

the other of said leaves and having its free I or working end upon theside of the eoil next the door or jamb, and a link eonneeting said freeend with said pivotal rod, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the lead A, of the leal A, connected therewithby suitable pintles and having the rod R at one side of the axis of theleaves, the arbor C, mounted on the leaf A, the springs S b, eoi]edabout the arbor U and having their outer ends, 3 s, secured to the leafA and their inner ends, 3 5, extending toward the rod lft, and the linkL, connecting the ends 3' .5" and the rod R and adapted to cross theaxis of the hinge as it is opened or closed, and thereby to reverse theoperation of the spring upon the leaves, subst:tntially as and tor thepurpose set forth.

The combination oi? the leaves A A, one Inovided with the rod R at oneside of the axis of the leaves and the other with the hood or shell 1the arbor lying within the shell ll and having its ends secured inbearings e e in the leaf, the springs S S, coiled about the arbor andhaving their ends 3 s secured by passing through the shell and theirends 5 .9 ex ended toward the rod R, and the link ll, etmneeting theends 5- .s" with the rod, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof we have signed this speeitieation in the presenceof two subserio ing witnesses.

LEVI M. DEVORE. FRED. W. HOEFER.

\Vitnessec:

J. A. (11mm, Jos. B. SMITH.

